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(No Model.) 2i Sheets-Sheet 1. H. A. DAVIS & H. 0. PERI-1AM.

MACHINE FOR OPENING AND CLEANING COTTON. No. 406,034. Patented July 2, 1889.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. H. A. DAVIS & H. O. PERHAM.

MACHINE FOR OPENING AND CLEANING COTTON. No. 406,034.

Patented July 2, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. DAVIS AND HAVEN C. PERIIAM, OF LOlVELL, MASSACl-IUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO THE KITSON MACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR OPENING AND CLEANING COTTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 406,034, dated July 2, 1889. Application filed August 14, 1886. Serial No. 210,901. (No model.)

To all 207mm it may concern.-

Be it known that we, HENRY A. DAVIS and HAVEN (1 PERHAM, of Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Opening and Cleaning (.otton, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to machines for opening and cleaning cotton and other fibers; and it consists in certain new and useful combinations and constructions of the same, substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cotton-opener and cotton-lapper machine connected by a cotton-trunk, to which our improvement is applied. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the trunk, as shown in Fig. with a portion of the cover and upper part broken away to show the internal construction. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of Fig. 3 with a portion of the side casings broken away for the same purpose. Fig. 5 is a portion of the trunk in elevation, showing the opposite side from Fig. 1. Fig. 6 a transverse vertical section of Fig. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the dust-chambers removed from the trunk.

Our invention relates more especially to the portion of cotton-opening machines known as the trunk, and it is intended to facilitate the cleaning of the dust-chambers in the same when the cotton-trunk is in use for cleaning the cotton without being obliged to stop that operation to clean out such dust-chambers.

A is the breaker-opener, constructed with a feed-apron, feedrolls, and a beater in the usual manner. It opens the cotton fed into it, and delivers it into the cotton-trunk B, through which it is blown by the current of air generated by the opener-beater and by the fan 0 to the lapper I). The latteris provided with a beater and screen-cages or cylinders to form the lap. The heater of opener A is driven by pulley a, the fan C by pulley c, belted from pulley o, and the beater of lapper D by pulley d. Pulley c is belted to pulley (Z on the beater-shaft of lapper D. All these parts of the mechanism are well understood, and the invention is not connected immediately to any of them, except the trunk B, further description of them is unnecessary to the understanding of it.

The cotton-trunk B has the usual passage 1) through its upper portion above the horizontal screen b. The cotton passes through this passage l) with the air-current in. a finelycomminuted state, and the heavier particles of dust and leaf contained in it drop down through the screen I).

Heretofore the space below the screen I) has been divided into a series of narrow chambers or receptacles by transverse vertical. partitions across the trunk, leaving them open at the top, and each of these chambers had its bottom removable or capable of turning downward on hinges to allow the dirt to drop out in cleaning it. Another method has been to cause a current of air from a fan to pass through the chambers below screen I) from end to end by suitable passages and dampers in their ends, and pipc-connections, and remove the dirt by the force of the aircurrent. All of these devices required that the flow of the air-currenta1ul cotton through the passage 1) should be stopped before using them, because if either of the chambers below screen I) is opened for even an instant while the cotton-laden current of air is passing through passage l) the latter will. be djverted downward thrdugh screen I) and fill. the meshes of the screen over such chamber with fiber. The restoration of the current through passage l) to its normal course will then fail to dislodge such fiber from the meshes of screen I), and it will not only prevent dirt from dropping through the screen, but other cotton fibers floating through the passage 0 will constantly adhere to those lodged in the screen, and others upon these until the whole passage will be choked up full, and the trunk in a short time will become useless until the obstruction is removed.

\Ve divide the upper partof the space below the screen I) in the trunk by wedge shaped partitions c 6, extending across the trunk with their thin edges upward and fixed in the sides of the trunk at their ends. be

low the partitions c c are mounted on axes transversely of the trunk a series of cyhndrical shaped receptacles n 91, forming receppartitions e a when such opening is turned uppermost on the cylinder axis. In this position the dirt falling through screen I), and downward between such adjacent partitions, will pass through its opening at and lodge'in the receptacle n. The axes of the receptacle n are mounted in bearings in the sides of the trunk, and one of them extends through the side of the trunk and hasattached upon its outer end a lever or arm n for revolving the receptacle. In each end of each of the cylindrical receptacles 'n are openings through its heads a n on one side of the axis, formed about one-quarter of the way around the circumference from the opening or. Through the sides of the trunk B, below the axis of the receptacle, are formed openings 6 e, in position to register with the openings n n of the receptacle, when the latter are turned to their lowermost position. Along one side of the trunk B, over the openings eflextends a tube E, having a suction fan or blower E attached to one end of it, all the openings 6 leading into this tube. The suction-fan E is driven by a belt from pulley 6'. Between the adjacent receptacles n in the trunk are fixed transverse partitions e e, fillin g the space across the trunk between them closely. Each of these partitions is hollowed out to cover the cylindrical surface of the receptacle n on one side of it to a considerable breadth.

The operation of our invention is as follows: The receptacles n n being placed with their openings n n against the partitions ee", the chambers between partitions e e will become partly filled with dirt and leaf, and it becomes desirable to clean them. In this position the wall of receptacle 01. forms a valve, closing the bottom of the chamber between the partitions e 6. By taking hold of its lever 71 one of the chambers is revolved on its axis until its opening n is brought to register with the opening between the partitions e e. In doing this the last part of the movement of the cylindrical receptacle withdraws the part of cylinder 97,, forming the bottom of the chamber from the adjacent partitions e e, the preceding movement having closed passages e e by interposing the unbroken portion of the ends of the cylinder against them as it revolves. This prevents the possibility of escape of the cotton-laden air-current which is passingthrough passage 1) of thetrunk through the receptacle or chamber a, while it allows the dirt in the chamber between partitions e e to drop down freely. By turning lever 17. the other way the chamber between partitions e e is closed and the opening a of the cylinder or chamber n is brought to register with opening 6 in the trunk. Opening 71. will then register with opening 2 in the trunk, and partition e or the inclosed space above it, will cover the longitudinal opening or into the cylinder. The draft of air through the openings c n n e and tube E, created by suction-fan E, will then carry the dirt out of the receptacle n, and it is delivered by fan E into any suitable dust-receptacle or into space. In the mean time all openings from or through the receptacle n upward into the chamber between partitions e e have remained closed and the cotton-laden air-current through the trunk above has been undisturbed by the cleaning process. By revolving the cylindrical receptacle or backward the passages through n e and n 6 will be closed before the opening n arrives opposite the chamber between the adjacent partitions e e, and therefore the latter in passing to position over such space affords no opportunity for the air to escape downward from the trunk-passage b, which would destroy the efficiency of the invention for operation while the trunk was in action. Should the suction-fan E not be running, our invention is still employed by continuing to turn the lever n until the opening n in the receptacle n arrives at its lowermost point and past the partition 6 when the dust and dirt will fall downward through the opening .out of the receptacle, and it may be restored to its normal position by turning backward as before.

It will be observed that in the above-described cleaning operation the side and ends of the cylinder 41 act as connected valves to close the opening between the chamber or and chamber between e e first, and to set open those leading into pipe E afterward; and it is especially in this feature of its operation that our invention is advantageous in use.

WVhat we claim as new and of our invention 1. The combination of the trunk B, provided with passage 1), and screen I) beneath it, partitions e e, forming sides of a chamber beneath the screen, and the movable receptacle 'n, beneath the latter, provided with an opening n, adapted to alternately connect receptacle n with the chamber between partitions e (2 above, and to connect said receptacle with the space below after its connection with the chamber between partitionse e is fully closed, substantially as described.

2. The combination of trunk B, provided with passage 1), and screen b beneath it, parsaid connection may be closed fully and said receptacle thereafter may be opened elsewhere outside of said chamber, substantially as described.

3. The combination of trunk B, provided with passage 1), and screen bbeneath it, partitions e c, receptacle n, constituting a movable bottom beneath said partitions and forming therewith a chamber below said screen, said receptacle beingprovided with openings, substantially as described, tube E, provided with fan E, and means whereby said receptacle may be connected with said chamber after being closed elsewhere, and may be connected with said tube E after being entirely shut off from said chamber, substantially as described.

4. The combination of trunk B, provided with passage 1), and screen I) beneath it, partitions e e, and revolving cylindrical receptacle 71, provided with opening 72, substantially as described.

0. The combination of trunk B, provided HENRY A. DAVIS. HAVEN C. PERI-1AM.

Witnesses:

DAVID HALL RICE, LEPINE HALL RICE. 

